The Great Lakes Countries Local Authorities Platform (PALPGL) is a permanent framework for dialogue, cooperation, and integration among local governments in the African Great Lakes region. It brings together cities and local authorities from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, as well as partner cities from other countries in the region, around a shared vision of peace, development, and shared prosperity.

Our Story

The PALPGL initiative started in 2012 with support from the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), in partnership with Wallonia-Brussels International and the European Commission. This effort led to the official creation of the Platform in 2014 in Rubavu (Rwanda) and Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo).

In 2015, PALPGL set up a lasting institutional structure and its own statutes, with its headquarters established in the Rusizi District, Western Province, in the Republic of Rwanda.